NASHVILLE, Tenn. – July 10, 2018 – Today, EG Vines announces his debut album and forthcoming EP Conversation. Vines made his mark in Nashville as a member of rock band The Bandoliers; not only is Conversation his debut as a solo artist, but a statement on empathy, compassion, and greater understanding between people. Set for release on August 17, 2018, Vines teamed up with producer Eddie Spear (The Delta Saints, Dave Cobb) and noted studio musicians Leroy Powell, Chris Powell, and Brian Allen to create the five song masterpiece. EG Vines recently released “Me and You,” the first single from Conversation; the full album is available for vinyl pre-order today.
According to EG Vines, the lack of empathetic communication is at the
root of a lot of our problems. “All this division, and the words that we
use/the lines for no reason between me and you/well I won’t believe
that this is the best we can do”, sings Vines on his upcoming record.
From the funky “Tell Me Something Brother”, to the slow burning
“Reconcile”, Vines is on a mission for more understanding on his debut
solo EP Conversation.
Vines is originally from Jonesboro, Arkansas. “It’s a small, religious
town, somewhere that the same families have inhabited for generations,”
he says, “There’s more churches than houses in that place.” Growing up,
Vines was heavily involved in the Church of Christ, which is where he
first became interested in music composition. “The music is all A
Capella, so it really gave me an appreciation for vocal harmony and
layering,” he explains.
His religious upbringing, his time spent at a large state school, and
almost a decade of living in a progressive city have given Vines
perspective. Having so many close family members and friends with such
strong, and often opposing, beliefs helps him understand different
outlooks on many current social and political conversations – even when
he may not agree with everything (or anything) that is being said. “A
lot of friends of mine, maybe we have a little bit of different
viewpoints just because of the things we’ve seen in our lives,” he
explains, “And I’m usually the type of person who will say something if I
see a statement that is just not how I see the world, but I think we
all find a way to respect each other’s opinions.”
Vines’ ability to hear others viewpoints served him well when he began
the search for a producer of his first solo EP. After playing and
writing with rock outfit The Bandoliers for half a decade, life pulled
the bandmates in different directions, leaving Vines in search of a new
way to present his original material. “I felt like my songs never quite
reached their full potential in the band, so for a couple years I spent
most of my free time writing, I wrote for hours every day.”
Finally, when he felt that he had a group of songs he was ready to
record, Vines reached out to producer Eddie Spear, who he admired for
his work with The Delta Saints and Dave Cobb. Spear was skeptical at
first, he told Vines that although there was a lot of good components,
some of the songs weren’t quite working for him, and he gave him some
classic records to listen to as homework. Rather than take offense,
Vines took the advice to heart. He listened deeply, wrote more, and
worked harder on honing his craft. That initial conversation turned into
a powerful creative collaboration. Over the next few months, the songs
on Conversation were born and Spear agreed to produce the EP.
“If you try to really hear someone out and not condemn a viewpoint
before giving your opinion, that always works a little better,” Vines
explains. We can only hope that Vines empathetic message is heard out,
and paves the way for many more meaningful conversations.
Tour Dates:
July 12 – Nashville, TN – The Basement
August 4 – Bowling Green, KY – Tidball’s
August 17 – Atlanta, GA – Smith’s Olde Bar
September 28 – Nashville, TN – The 5 Spot
